Nonhlelo Kunene is a Water Engineering Technologist, she holds a Btech Degree in Civil Engineering specializing in Water Engineering of which completed in 2021. Prior to her Btech studies she was part of a consulting engineering company (2yrs 9mons) were she completed her inservice training as part of her National Diploma in Civil Engineering. During her time in the company, she was exposed to design projects that included: eThekwini Municipality asset management, flood assessment and/or floodline design, stormwater management and infrastructure design, water reticulation as well as catchment hydrology.

After completing her Btech in 2021, she became part of the Water Research Commission (WRC) Graduate Program 2021/2022 for 8 months, during the course of the program she was hosted by the Thermodynamics Research Unit which forms part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal Chemical Engineering Department. There she worked on a Non Thermal Plasma Technology for Wastewater Treatment Project. In February 2023 she joined the WASH R&D Centre, Howard College, as a Research Assistant.